High 74F. Tornado activity: Sweetwater-area historical tornado activity is near Texas state average.It is 28% greater than the overall U.S. average.. On 4/19/1986, a category F3 (max. The move ends Georgia's inhumane rattlesnake roundup legacy. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Now, as director of the Sweetwater and Nolan county chamber of commerce, Hunt fields calls from people in England, Germany and other parts of the world inquiring about the festival and making plans to visit. of chicken wings, thrown in our Hot, Mild, or Inferno wing sauce. Rattlesnake Bites: $10 We flash freeze the meat from our Rattlesnake Roundup, season, batter, and deep fry it to a golden brown. Back row Left to right: Del Riley, Blake Stephens, David Sager, Miss Texas, Mallory Fuller, Chris Thomas, Dee Thomas, Cody Cox. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. This year, however, so many snakes were rounded up that there's hardly a market for selling. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Sweetwater, The town of 11,000 is expected to swell to about 30,000 during the festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday, said Dennis Cumbie, one of the organizers. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; City Council Hears . Each spring, the small city of Sweetwater, Texas, hosts what it bills as the world's largest rattlesnake roundup. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her home town. Everybody was nervous about it and didnt know how it would go, Cox added. Thursday March 11, 2021 4:30 pm Rattlesnake Parade5:00 pm-10:00 pm CarnivalAll day pass - $30.00 (all you can ride) Carnival onlyWeekend pass $60.00 (sold only on Thursday) Carnival onlyTicke The two events are a marked contrast in how rattlesnakes are handled. Exact attendance figures are unknown because many people such as children are admitted free, but Ive heard anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000, said longtime volunteer Jeffrey Cox, who has been helping to organize the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup for the past four decades. Snake hunts are offered throughout the day at nearby locales, and audience members will alsohavethe chance to skin a rattlesnakeas well asdine on the reptile's deep-fried meat. //-->, Copyright FestivalNet 2022. Dates: March 10th - 12th, 2023. 810 E Broadway P.O. While organizers say the snake hunters who bring in big rattlers get rid of nuisance reptiles, opponents say Eastern diamondback snakes are declining in population. Oklahoma. Rattlesnakes are symbols of freedom and independence; teaching that snakes are scary and useless minimizes their significance in our cultural and ecological heritage.. They come here every single year.". In 2022 the Whigham Community Club announced that it will no longer capture snakes and will instead feature displays and educational programming about the diamondback rattlesnake and other native wildlife. Rather, organizers liken snake hunting to how other hunters keep deer numbers in check. Publication of festival information does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with Everfest. In Georgia, organizers say the more humane format they launched for the first time last weekend was a success. Several vendors, and swap meet vendors will be available around the park. We will be donating the first month of each new vendor & artist subscription to the Austin Justice Coalition. Doors open Friday at 8 a.m., cost is $10 for adults, $5 for active/retired military and $5 for children ages 5-12, with those 4 and under free. We have plenty of outdoor space for more vendors to enjoy the 65th World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup right here in Sweetwater, TX. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Sweetwater Jaycees Rattlesnake Round Up 2023 Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Sat 11 March 11 Downtown Lions Club Car Show Thu 23 March 23 - March 25 Ranger College Rodeo at Nolan County Coliseum Nolan County Colisuem 220 Coliseum Drive, Sweetwater, TX Fri 24 March 24 - March 26 Rattlesnake Gravel Grind Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative . We learn how you can have fun at the event even if you want to stay clear of the snakes. Guided Snake Hunt - Friday Friday, March 11th For those wishing to see the rattlesnake in its natural habitat, we offer guided hunts. 64th Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater March 11-13, 5:00-10:00 carnival - $35 all day pass (carnival rides only) or $100 all weekend pass (carnival only), 7:00 PM Miss Snake Charmer Pageant at Municipal Auditorium 201 E 4th Street - adult ticket $10, student ticket $5, Tickets prices: adults $10, active/retired military $5 with valid ID, children 5-12 $5, children 4 and under free, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult, 8:00-5:00 Sweetwater Lions Club Flea Market, 10:00 Guided Snake Hunts - Must sign up prior and must have valid hunting license, 2:00PM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides and tickets $1, 9:00-6:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Knife, and Coin Show with $5 entry, children 12 & under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM - 12:00 AM Carnival - $35 all day pass for rides or tickets $1, 8:00 PM Dance at the Jaycee Barn at 307 W 4th Street - $20 per person and cooler charge $5 small $10 large, 4:00 Longest Snake Contest and Most Pounds Entered Awards, 9:00-5:00 Sweetwater Rifle and Pistol Club Gun, Coin, and Knife Show - $5 entry fee, children 12& under free when accompanied by an adult, 10:00AM-8:00PM Carnival - $35 day pass for carnival rides or tickets $1. They also show the huge divide in how they are seen by some, with the Georgia festival heralded by animal advocates and the Texas roundup shamed. But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend, Saturday March 12, 2022 in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. Meat judges are needed, so feel free to volunteer. The 21st Annual Jaycee Roosters Motorcycle Rally and Cook-off and Swap Meet will be held at Sweetwater Lake Park in Sweetwater, Texas from April 15, 2022 to April 17, 2022. Apache's will follow on April 15-18. The dunes of the Little Sahara in Little Sahara State Park are the perfect place to ride ATVs. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Afterwards, they are butchered for their meat, skin and venom and sold to anyone who can make use of them. The following is the full schedule for the 2022 Rattlesnake Roundup: Thursday March 10, 2022: 4:30 pm Rattlesnake Parade 5:00 pm-10:00 pm Carnival All day pass - $35.00 (all you can ride) Carnival only Weekend pass $100.00 (sold only on Thursday) Carnival only Tickets - $1.00 each 7:00 pm Miss Snake Charmer Pageant Adults - $10.00 Students - $5.00 Sweetwater Municipal Auditorium. An annual rattlesnake roundup in south Georgia recently changed the format of this months event to celebrate living snakes without skinning and butchering them, earning plaudits from animal rights activists. Plans for the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" this weekend in the Texas town of Sweetwater are full-scale ahead, with snakes set to be skinned and others "milked" of their venom.. Enter the email address you used when you joined. Admission: none Days/Hours Open: All Days 8am6pm Address: 110 E. 15th Street, Sweetwater, TX 79556 Other Activities: sweetwater lions club car show, sweetwater rattlesnake roundup Attendance: 9,000 # Food Booths: 20 # of Exhibitors: 235 Juried: no Prize Money: na Deadlines: Art & Craft: 03/01/2023 Music: na Food: 03/01/2023 Rattlesnakes are fascinating, beautiful, but often feared and misunderstood creatures. The city's farmers and ranchers rose and banded together to eradicate rattlesnakes. There will be live music on Fri. and Sat. | Austin, TX. Your User ID or Password reset link will be sent to you. Come join the fun and check it out. Now, as director of the Sweetwater and Nolan County Chamber of Commerce, Hunt fields calls from people in England, Germany and other parts of the world inquiring about the festival and making plans to visit. (Courtney Sacco/Odessa American via AP, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Festival information may not be up to date due to COVID-19, but you can view our list of cancellations here. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. Our feature-length documentary, Rounding Up Sweetwater, will debunk both the pseudo-science used to justify roundups as well as negative stereotypes about rattlesnakes used to demonize them. Theres literally no waste, he said. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a14f7458b5429f1 . Join Now: Vendors | Artists | Already PRO? But no such changes are occurring at a huge rattlesnake roundup beginning this weekend in Texas, a festival that the activists say is barbaric. Waurika and Waynoka will hold their rattlesnake festivals next weekend. He told the Abilene Reporter-News: "We welcome that. This does put us on the map, she said. Rounding Up Sweetwater. . Plans for the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" this weekend in the Texas town of Sweetwater are full-scale ahead, with snakes set to be skinned and others "milked" of their venom.. What is advertised as the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup" draws about 25,000 visitors annually to the town of Sweetwater, a community in Texas made up of a little over 10,000 people. After seeing firsthand what goes on in Sweetwater every year, we know there is a better way. This year's winner, Avery Schiffner, 16, greeted festival-goers with a live rattlesnake coiled round her neck. In addition to Okeene, four other western Oklahoma towns will revive their rattlesnake hunts and festivals this month after being canceled last year. They also show the huge divide in how they are seen by some, with the Georgia festival heralded by animal advocates and the Texas roundup shamed. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. For Immediate Release, February 28, 2022 Contact: Elise Bennett, (727) 755-6950, [email protected] . Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Rattlesnake roundups take two paths, drawing praise and scorn by The Associated Press | March 12, 2022 at 10:00 p.m. GRUESOME pictures show rattlesnakes being beheaded, skinned and eaten at a festival in Texas. FestivalNet is not the event & does not book the participants; we provide contact info to save you time in event research. We want everybody to come and see us and see what we're doing.". Up to age 12: Free with . Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Get In Touch. Ronald Erdrich is the photojournalist and a columnist for the Abilene Reporter-News. FNdocumentWrite("") Handlers grabbed them safely behind the jaws so children could stroke them up close. $5 Jackpot beans and $10 Jalapeno Poppers. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. The Fascinating Underwater World and the Legacy of Jacques Cousteau Free High-Quality Documentaries 50th Annual Freer Rattlesnake Round-Up Wolters World 2.2M views 6 years ago 10 Most Beautiful. In Texas, the Sweetwater roundup is intertwined with the towns culture and draws visitors from all over the world. To register for a guided hunt, you first need to purchase a ticket online, then you need to show up early on the day you purchased a ticket to hunt and sign up with hunter registration located at the back of the coliseum by the weigh-in area. They are also the victims of the largest public slaughter of native wildlife in the United States. This website uses cookies to provide our visitors with a great user experience. While organizers say the snake hunters who bring in big rattlers get rid of nuisance reptiles, opponents say Eastern diamondback snakes are declining in population. He's the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. Sweetwater, TX (79556) Today. Its the biggest event in this town every year, Cumbie said. All rights reserved. Low 43F. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Hes the chairman of the milking pit, where venom is extracted and then used to develop various drugs for a range of illnesses. The 21st Annual Jaycee Roosters Motorcycle Rally and Cook-off and Swap Meet will be held atSweetwater Lake Park in Sweetwater, Texas from April 15, 2022 to April 17, 2022. Center for Biological Diversity: Largest Remaining Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, Should Follow Suit, Conservationists Say. Active/retired military, $5 (with valid military ID); Ages 5-12, $5; 4 and under, free.. Visitors and news crews from around the nation and the globe frequently are seen perusing the snake pits at Nolan County Coliseum. Festival-goers were encouraged to wear masks but they were not compulsory and few people actually did. Sweetwater Jaycees Announce Rattlesnake Roundup Media Day; Ridin . Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Karen Hunt grew up in Sweetwater, and recalls fellow Texans asking her about her hometown. It's the biggest event in this town every year," Cumbie said. Yes, we're the rattlesnake town, they would say. Exact attendance figures are unknown because many people such as children are admitted free, but I've heard anywhere from 7,000 to 15,000, said longtime volunteer Jeffrey Cox, who has been helping to organize the Whigham Rattlesnake Roundup for the past four decades. 2023 www.reporternews.com. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.The Sweetwater Rifle & Pistol Club Gun, Knife and Coin Show. Check out the schedule of events below: Thursday March 10 4:30 Rattlesnake Parade Go here to update it. A few rattlesnake roundups still persist, the Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement full of scorn for the Texas festival, which is "notorious for openly killing and skinning western diamondback rattlesnakes by the hundreds in front of crowds.. Eugene De Leon Sr. died Saturday night from his injury at Rattlesnake Roundup in Freer. SWEETWATER, Texas (KCBD) - The 64th Annual Worlds Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up will take place on March 11 through 13 at the Nolan County Coliseum, located at 220 Coliseum Drive in Sweetwater. A mix of light freezing rain and sleet this morning.then cloudy late. Join Festivalnet.com now to unlock additional details,